Regally Blonde Swedes on Parade

Author: Astri vonArbinAhlander

My name is Astri and I've scored big. After all, I have my own column in this illustrious newspaper - a column with few editorial guidelines other than "Write what you want." How did I get it? I'm not a trendsetter. Rather, I belong to a fast on-coming trend - Sweden. And The Campus, by choosing me as a columnist, is jumping on-board. "Blondes have more fun" may be a timeless tagline, but Swedes on Parade is definitely the hit of the season. Just look around, we're everywhere. Are you a WRMC junkie? The Cardigans, The Hives and the big-time newcomer, Laleh, should be on your charts. Social issues get you off? Then Sweden is on your world map right now. On Sept. 17th, the Social Democratic party - basically the single-handed ruler for the past 70 years and creators of the textbook favorite Welfare State - made a record poor election and were kicked out of the Riksdag, handing over power to the four-party coalition headed by the Conservative party. No worries, the Swedish Conservatives are more liberal than your average Proctor Lounge kid. For all you nature lovers, next year is the 300th birthday of Carl Linnaeus, the inventor of binominal nomenclature and the founder of modern biological systematics. So, the next time you hike Camel's Hump, think of the man from the land up North that gave your favorite flowers family identity. Wonder about your Minnesotan roommate's funny accent? Ja, we Swede's can take the blame for that. Sweden colonized Delaware Bay in 1638, making Sweden one of the founding countries of the United States. We gave you the log cabin, too. To history, we gave iffy neutrality, Raoul Wallenberg and the Vikings - which, as I'm learning in my Literary Texts and Contexts class, also means we contributed a certain "word-hoard" to the English language. You can thank my Norse ancestors for "ugly" and "anger," but you must also give them credit for the word "skirt."

This leads me to the current Swedish trend closest to my heart - fashion. From the country that brought you H&M comes a whole new clan of top-tier designers that are making a splash on the international fashion scene. At the recent Stockholm Fashion Week, three sisters launched their celebrated knit brand, Dagmar, with the fabulously named collection, "Fisherman's Wife Goes Glamour," heap-full of sensuous sweaters that promise to keep you hot for more than one season. Perfect for the Vermont winter, not so happy on the Middkidd wallet. Sweaters aside, the Swedish denim scene is wrapping up fashionista bottoms all over the world this fall. One of the most thrilling brands is Nudie, founded by the former head designer at Lee. A recent article explained that Nudie is "indisputably Swedish because it emphasizes functionality, attention to details, and purity of line," or, to put it simply - it's edgy and minimalist. I was tickled blonder when I spotted one of Middlebury's own studs sporting Nudie's characteristic thick-wave pocket design to class this week. WESC is the street brand for a hotter, looser fit that's breaking it big internationally. Watch out for streamlined sweatshirts and low-slung waist-lines. But perhaps the most innovative Swedish jean on the international market right now is Acne. Sure, the name sends some sketchy signals, but wait till you see the fit of their new high-waisted, toothpick skinny jean. They're simply to die for. Or rather, worth going on a rice-and-beans diet in order to save up for - or fit into. Nudie, WESC and Acne are all sold at hideous prices at Fred Segal in L.A., but are surprisingly affordable on the European continent. My tip - have a friend from abroad make a delivery.

To conclude, I offer up some words of wisdom for this week: embrace the Swede in you. You can't escape us anyway. Tack och hej!